URBAN SOCIOLOGY: WHAT IT STUDIES AND CHARACTERISTICS - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The urban sociology is the science that studies human interactions in large towns and metropolitan areas. Its main objective is to discover how to improve the lives of people within cities, studying the structures, problems and changes that can be found in them.

Because it is a branch of sociology, and therefore a social science, urban sociology uses approaches such as observation, statistical studies, interviews, and theories derived from other branches of social knowledge to formulate its assumptions.

This discipline has been developing since the 19th century with the work of authors such as Max Weber and George Simmel. These thinkers began to study and theorize about the effects that urbanization could have on people's thinking and well-being.

Later, in the 20th century, the Chicago School picked up the baton. Its main authors were dedicated to expanding the knowledge that Weber and Simmel had generated, as well as raising new questions about the effects of cities on people.

What does urban sociology study?

Urban sociology fundamentally studies the effects of the urbanization process, that is, the phenomenon by which most of the population goes to live in the cities. This migration of the population causes great changes in the psychology of the people, in the environment and in the economy of the country.

Due to the importance of these processes, urban sociology focuses on learning more about why and how they occur, what their effects are, and how we can mitigate their most damaging consequences.

Why and how urbanization occurs

One of the most important questions posed by urban sociology is the cause of population growth in city areas. Mass migration to these areas causes changes in the urban structure, such as the fact that an increasing number of workers are dedicated to services and the tertiary sector.

But what came first: the increase in population in cities, or the increase in amenities in these? According to urban sociologists, there may be two possible forms of the development of urbanization:

- Planned urbanization, in which a city is created specifically according to the needs of the population. These cities can be planned based on the economy, the wishes of the government or other reasons such as aesthetics or environmental sustainability.

- Organic urbanization, in which the population simply grows in the city area, in such a way that it grows without any type of planning.

Each of the two types of urbanization has its own advantages and disadvantages. For example, planned cities may suffer from population shortages that make them unviable, and organic cities often have problems in terms of organization and infrastructure.

Effects of urbanization

The growth of the urban population is an unstoppable phenomenon, whether it is done in a planned way or it happens spontaneously. This increase in the population of cities brings with it a series of consequences (both positive and negative) that urban sociology tries to study.

Positive consequences

- Generation of more business opportunities for the local population.

- Increased comfort of citizens in most cases.

- Migration of companies to the area, which increases the wealth of the city.

- Increase in artistic and cultural activities.

However, despite the fact that initially urban growth mainly produces benefits for the population, when reaching a critical point of citizenship, a saturation effect can occur.

Negative consequences

- Increased traffic and congestion on the streets.

- Lack of some resources such as housing, energy or water.

- Shortage of work for all available labor.

- Increase in problems such as pollution or crime.

- As the differences between the population of cities increase, problems such as racism, discrimination or poverty can also appear.

How to avoid problems caused by urbanization

After studying the causes and effects of the development of cities, urban sociology is also in charge of investigating the way to avoid the worst consequences of this process. In this way, the objective is not to prevent progress, but to channel it in a way that it occurs in a sustainable way.

However, unlike ecological sociology, urban sociology also studies how to prevent a large increase in population from having negative effects on people living in the city. Some of the most common are stress and depression, which are sometimes caused by environmental factors.

characteristics

Urban sociology is a branch of sociology and, therefore, bases its conclusions on the scientific method. Some of the most important characteristics of this social science are the following:

- It is both a theoretical and an applied science.

- It is based on verifiable data and replicable research methods, such as statistics and observation.

- Seeks to discover the causes for typical problems in large cities, as well as how to solve them.

- Study both the evolution of cities and their population.

- Pay attention to the relationship between the different groups that live in a city.

Differences between urban and rural sociology

Sociology is not in charge of a single field of study; on the contrary, it is divided into several branches concerned with different issues. Two of the most important are urban and rural sociology.

However, although both streams of sociology share the same study methods and similar approaches, their concerns are different.

- Rural sociology is concerned with studying the development of rural areas and the populations that live in them. Therefore, they investigate the culture and beliefs of these communities, their organization, and the causes and effects of population emigration to more urbanized areas.

- On the contrary, urban sociology focuses on the study of cities, their development, and the benefits and drawbacks that their rapid growth has had in recent centuries. In addition, it studies typical problems of large populations, such as their economy or their impact on the environment.

References

1. "Understanding Urban Sociology" in: Universal Class. Retrieved on: March 7, 2018 from Universal Class: universalclass.com.
2. "Urban Sociology Theories" in: York University. Retrieved on: March 7, 2018 from York University: yorku.ca.
3. "Urban sociology" in: Wikipedia. Retrieved on: March 7, 2018 from Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org.
4. "Urban Sociology" in: Chicago University. Retrieved on: March 7, 2018 from Chicago University: uchicago.edu.
5. "Difference Between Rural and Urban Sociology" in: Difference Between. Retrieved on: March 7, 2018 from Difference Between: differencebetween.com